


The Bride of Blue and Red

by PonderRose



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Idiots in Love, Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Loving Marriage, Marriage, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Gestures, Romantic Soulmates, Time Travel, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-01 03:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16277090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Splinter travels back from the future to deliver a girl to the turtles. He informs them that she was killed by Shredder and is either the wife of Leonardo or Raphael (he knows who's but refuses to say which). To prevent her death but still allow for the future marriage, Splinter travels back in time so they can meet two years early. Now Leonardo and Raphael find themselves both looking at the same girl whom one of them will definitely marry one day. Let the love triangle ensue!





	1. Meet Your Wife

Everyone says you only fall in love once, but that’s not true, because every time I see you, I fall in love all over again. 

That is the essence of our marriage.

 

I was in my room, busy on a paper for school. I didn’t notice my window open or the figure standing right behind me. I didn’t notice……. and then everything suddenly went dark. 

No One’s P.O.V.- 

The four teenagers entered the lair, being their noisy usual selves. So noisy in fact that they failed to see a familiar yet unfamiliar presence sitting on their couch. It was only when Donatello felt something was off about the room that they shut up and looked ahead of them. What appeared to be Splinter was seated with his backs to them. “Uh, Master Splinter?” Michelangelo ventured to ask. “Michelangelo…….” The old rat whispered to himself like he hasn’t said that name in years. 

The four turtles looked at each other and went down to face their master. But to their utter horror, it was not Splinter on the couch. Well, it was Splinter but not their Splinter; a much older version of himself. He was gruffy and had this air of suffering and wariness about him. It looked like life had not been easy for the rat. But what was more terrifying was the human girl he was holding in his arms. She was clearly knocked out unconscious, though there were no signs of force or trauma. For the first minute, none of them knew what to think except for that this person must have either been attacked and/or kidnapped. None of them sat well with those possibilities. 

“Who are you?!” Leonardo demanded, not taking his eyes off the girl, terrified for her wellbeing. “I think you should recognize the one who raised you, Leonardo,” older Splinter fired back. “You’re not our Splinter!” Michelangelo stated the obvious aloud. “Yeah! You’re like way older!” Donatello added. “Where’s our Splinter?!” Raphael demanded, getting ready to pull his sai out. “He’s asleep at the moment. I knocked him out before I picked her up,” he motioned down to the human. “K-knocking him out?” This genuinely surprised them; Splinter wasn’t one to take down so easily. “W-why?” Leonardo was almost afraid to ask. This Splinter was not only stronger than their Splinter- which made sense considering the age difference- but also potentially dangerous. He did have a human with him after all. 

Older Splinter didn’t answer right away. To their surprise, he just gazed down at the girl; a sort of affectionate, sad gaze. “I had to bring her to you.” This definitely caught all their attention; Donatello and Michelangelo’s jaws even dropped. With them too stunned to speak, Splinter continued. “You weren’t supposed to meet her for another two years, but that’s too long. You need to meet her now.” “W-why?” Leonardo’s voice was still shaky. Again, Splinter didn’t answer right away, peering back down sadly at the mysterious girl. Eventually his lips parted when he was ready to talk.  
“As I’m sure you’ve realized, I’m from the future.” The shocked them but they didn’t physically show it. While stunning, it didn’t seem impossible; if aliens from another dimension could find them, why couldn’t Splinter from the future. But that still didn’t explain why they had to meet her now of all times. “In my reality, you meet her when you’re seventeen. Her name…….” His voice caught in his throat for a moment; this was clearly difficult for him. “Her name is Dilara de Vries. She’s from Amsterdam. She becomes your dearest friend and…….. and she’s also your future wife.” 

“Wife?!” They all shouted in unison. They didn’t know that they could legally get married, much less to a human. But Splinter didn’t appear to be joking; the exact opposite in fact. Judging by the way he looked at her, even held her suggested that she was important- precious- to the old rat. “W-who’s wife?” Donatello finally sputtered. “Leonardo’s,” and all brothers looked at the now furiously blushing, speechless leader. “And Raphael’s,” he continued. The equally surprised red-masked turtle blinked to his older brother in surprise. “H-how can she be both our wives?” Raphael asked in a lower tone this time. “She’s not,” he went on to say. “But you agreed before I came to the past that I shouldn’t say which one of you marries her.” “W-we said that?!” Leonardo gasped in disbelief. Splinter responded with a nod. 

“That’s stupid! Why would we do that?!” Raphael’s voice rose again. “Because you said its more advantageous for her this way; you’ll both be more motivated to protect her.” “Protect her? Protect her from what?” Leonardo then asked with a hint of worry and curiosity. Splinter hesitated to answer, lowering his breathing like he was in pain. His eyes wouldn’t leave her face; it was as if he was afraid he’d never see it again once he looked away. If they didn’t know better, they could have sworn that the rat was tearing up slightly. 

“I brought her to you, so you could keep her safe. This won’t be a problem for a couple of years but eventually the Shredder will learn about her and seek her out. She……” Splinter took in a deep breath. “She died, in my reality.” “W-what?” Leonardo felt like he was immediately punched in the gut for some reason. “Shredder killed her, on your wedding night. She…… traded her life for all yours.” 

None of the turtles said anything; what could they say to that? A girl- one of their wives- sacrificed herself for them, all of them. Never, not even in their wildest dreams, could they have imagined such a thing. And it felt utterly disgusting; disgusting that they couldn’t stop Shredder from destroying someone they loved- loved enough to marry. And this obviously destressed Splinter, considering the expression on his face. He loved her too, it seemed. “S-she traded her life for ours?” Splinter only responded with a pained nod. 

“I see,” Donatello’s fingers snapped. “You came back in time to prevent her death, is that right?” “Correct as usual, Donatello. In the future, you look into multiple timelines to find which time I should bring Dilara to you. The only conditions were that she does not die and she still marries either Raphael or Leonardo; this was the only timeline that allowed for both those.” “N-now? You mean us meeting her now will prevent her death but also still allow Leo or Raph to marry her.” “Yes, Donatello.” And Leonardo and Raphael just looked at each other, unsure what to say next. 

They all took a few steps back as Splinter unexpectedly stood up. Spinning around, he tenderly set her down onto the couch. His paw gave her cheek a caress; a kind, loving caress. Yes, he loved her; he loved her dearly. And why not? She marries one of his sons; she’d be like a daughter to him. Her death would have hurt him too, so much that he travelled back in time to save her. After staring down at her in awe for a long, long minute, the rat straightened up and turned back to the dumbfounded turtles. 

“I’ll only say this once: it’s your job to protect her. I’m counting on you to keep her alive and safe from Shredder. He won’t be an issue for a while but someday he will be, and on that day, I expect you to be there for her. You will marry her, my sons; she is your future wife. So as her future husbands, it’s your jobs to keep her from harm. Do you understand, Leonardo, Raphael?” “Uh…….” The pair looked one another before gazing shyly back at the old rat. “Y-yes, of course!” Leonardo elated. Splinter gave a nod in his direction and then looked to Raphael, expecting an answer. Knowing he wanted one, the red-masked turtle nodded firmly. 

Seemingly satisfied, Splinter then turned to walk towards the exit, leaving the girl unconscious on the couch. He gave the turtles one final look. “Remember your promise.” They nodded obediently, afraid of angering him in any way. But then Donatello had a thought. “Hey!” He caught Splinter’s attention. “Why did you knock out uh, our Splinter? Shouldn’t he know this?” “You’re right, he should, and I’ll leave you four to tell him. But, as you’ll soon learn, Dilara has a considerable phobia of rats.” And then, with one last gaze at Dilara, the old rat evaporated into thin air, never to be seen or heard from again.


	2. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turtles try to figure out what to do while you wake up.

None of the turtles said anything for the longest time. They kept looking at each other but all their eyes inevitably returned to Dilara. She was still out of it on the couch, not moving or uttering a sound since she arrived. Eventually Michelangelo scratched the back of his head ponderingly. “You think she’s ok?” “Of course she’s ok!” Donatello sounded scandalized. “Splinter wouldn’t hurt her.” “Maybe he just didn’t realize how hard he hit her.” “He didn’t hit her……. did he?” There were no signs of injuries that they could see; not even a bump on the head. 

“Wow, a girl…….” Michelangelo then sighed, gazing back to her. “Dude! She’s like the second human friend we’ll ever have!” Donatello’s eyes rolled. Neither of them was paying attention to Leonardo or Raphael’s reactions; probably because they weren’t very animated. “Mikey, she’s not friend ye-……..” “Your right. She’s our sister-in-law.” Both younger turtles finally turned back to the elder at this, only to find them wide-eyed and blushing; their eyes were still locked on Dilara. When neither of them said anything, Michelangelo also glanced back to her, a wide smile growing across his lips. 

“She’s super cute!” This earned a glare from both Leonardo and Raphael. “What?! We already know she’s gonna marry you; can’t I say how cute my lil’ sis’ is?” “Uh, we actually don’t know if she’s younger than us,” Donatello added. “I meant size-wise; duh.” “Oh boy,” the purple-masked turtle eyes rolled again. “She’s been asleep for a long time now. Should we wake her up?” The youngest asked. 

“No/yes,” Leonardo and Raphael said at the same time, with the former disagreeing and the latter agreeing. It was the first time either of them had spoken since old Splinter left, though their voices were authoritative. Donatello blinked at them puzzled and they looked at each other. “We shouldn’t wake her up,” Leonardo told Raphael, who wasn’t smiling at his brother. “Why? She’s been out for a long time; we don’t know how long. What good is letting her stay unconscious?” “Uh, guys……..” “This is going a major shock for her; I doubt she’s seen any large, mutant turtles before. We need to be gentle about this.” “You, gentle? Well it explains why you’re a worse fighter than me,” Raphael folded his arms and smirked like this was some sort of victory for him. Leonardo frowned. “Guys……..” 

“Raph, I mean it. She’ll have no idea where she is or how she got here; she’s gonna be scared. I know this is a foreign concept to you but we need to be delicate, ok?” “Who said you get to call all the shots?” “I’m the leader, remember?” “Yeah, well I……..” “You guys!” “What?!” They both shot their heads over Donatello’s way. “Uh, I actually think Leo might be right about this.” “See?” Leonardo’s arms also crossed as he gave Raphael a side-smirk. “If she’s truly injured, then we should let Dilara get as much rest as possible.” “Injured?” This caught Leonardo and Raphael’s immediate attention. 

“W-wait, you don’t think she could be really hurt, do you Donnie?” Leonardo was afraid to ask. “I don’t know,” he gazed back at her. “I have to wait ‘til she wakes up to check, but I think she should come to in her own time.” The blue and red masked brothers gave the other a look and then nodded in unison at the purple masked turtle. “I’m going to tinker in my lab. Call me if she wakes up.” “Wait, Donnie. I think you should stay, just in case we need you,” Leonardo told him. “Seriously? She’s a human, not a glass doll.” But the sharp glare from the two elder brothers made him sigh. “Fine, I’ll work in the kitchen.” 

An hour passed with nothing. All the turtles stayed in the common room. Donatello worked on one of his inventions in the kitchen while Michelangelo bounced a ball on the wall. They noticed how Leonardo and Raphael sat particularly close to the lifeless girl; Raphael on the floor with his back leaning on the couch at her head and Leonardo actually sitting on the couch with her. Neither of them said anything, looking quite lost in thought. And of course they had a lot to think about; they’d never even considered marriage before tonight. Sure, they were still teenagers and it was a long time off but still, it would happen. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. 

While Raphael stared of into nowhere thoughtfully, Leonardo sketched her face in his mind. Michelangelo was right; she was pretty- she was beautiful. He certainly wouldn’t be disappointed to have her as a wife, someday……. Gently, his large green hand reached out to brush a few stray hairs off her cheek. Raphael noticed. “Hey!” He shot his brother back a look. “Hands off my wife!” “She’s not your wife,” Leonardo rolled his eyes. “She’s not either of our wives yet.” “But she will be!” Michelangelo called from where he was playing with his bouncy ball. 

“Look, we can’t be fighting over her until one of us marries her; that’ll not only hurt the team dynamic but it’ll hurt our relationship,” Leonardo tried to explain to Raphael; he seemed to consider this too. “So, why don’t we just say that…… uh……. uh……” “She’s both your wife,” Donatello called out, still tinkering in the kitchen. “Huh?” They blinked at him in surprise. “Don’t you get it? Splinter didn’t say which one of you marries her because that way, you’ll both be more inclined to protect her.” “I don’t follow,” Raphael’s strong arms folded. “Do either of you know what Schrodinger’s cat is?” “No,” the pair answered at once. 

Donatello took in a deep breath and grabbed a nearby screwdriver. “It’s a thought experiment meant to represent a paradox. By telling you that one of you will marry Dilara, but not which one, Splinter has effectively made you both her husband equally.” “He split them in half?!” Michelangelo gasped in surprise. “No! All it means is that you’re both her husband and not husband at the same time. Until you actually get married…….. wait, you guys thought of that yourselves in the future? I didn’t think you were “that” smart.” “Hey!” Both hollered irritated. 

But they turned back to Dilara considerately afterwards, thinking about the situation. “I get it,” Leonardo nodded. “So, it’s like we’re both half-husbands, at least for now.” “Half-husbands?” Raphael’s eyebrow cocked. “We’re both her husband and not her husband at the same time…… somehow. How does this cat paradox end again?” He asked Donatello. “That’s so stupid, I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.” “Haha!” Raphael laughed at his now annoyed older brother. After sending him a glare, he moved so to see Raphael face-to-face. “So what do you think? We’re both her half-husbands?” “Alright.” “Ok, good! Dilara’s both our wives until further notice……. only no kissing.” “Or touching,” Raphael added. “Oh brother,” Donatello’s eyes rolled for what felt like the millionth time. 

It was around then that the human girl began to stir for the first time. Half-excited, half-terrified, all brothers were instantly gathered around her. Her soft eyes started to flutter open as she let out a tiny groan, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. “Ugh, where am I? What happened?” 

Dilara’s P.O.V.- 

I don’t know how long I had been out for. It felt like I was waking up from a long sleep but I don’t remember going to bed. My eyes slowly opened as I brought my hand to my forehead; it didn’t ache but it felt heavy. It didn’t hit me right away, probably because I was still half-asleep, but I failed to notice that the roof I was currently staring at was not the roof in my room. “Ugh, where am I? What happened?” “Dude! She’s waking up!” “Quiet, Mikey! You’re being too loud!” I heard unfamiliar voices all around me, though they weren’t registering right away. “Well, she looks stable enough but I’m gonna need her to open her eyes more to get a full diagnosis.” What are they talking about? My head tilted slightly to the side to see two bodies standing there, staring down at me. 

The first thing I remember was the colors: red and orange. More colors came into view- green, brown, blue, purple…….. It took me a second to realize that they weren’t human; I didn’t know what they were. But it didn’t really hit me until this wide, happy face was suddenly very close to mine; he was grinning down at me. “Hello!” That’s when everything came crashing down. I screamed louder than I ever had in my life, sitting up immediately. Upright, I was able to see not one but four huge freaks around me. “Wait! Wait! Don’t be scared! We’re friends!” The one in the orange masked lifted his hands up in show of peace. 

This didn’t help anything; I just continued to scream and squirm away from them on the couch. I didn’t remember this couch- ever- and I didn’t know where I was, but at the moment, I didn’t worry about that. I just wanted to get away- get as far away from these…… these things as possible! They watched surprised and alarmed as I leapt off the side of the couch and made a dash into the room. But I didn’t get far because I neglected to see the low wooden table blocking my way. Consequently, I tripped on its leg, stumbling back onto the ground and idiotically knocking myself out again. “Whoa, whoa, hold on!” Was the last thing I remember hearing. Last thing……..


	3. The Real Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up for the second time to find yourself in a very...... unusual situation.

I awoke to a bright light shining in my face and finger snapping sounds. “There doesn’t look to be any trauma…….” “Do you have to shine that light right in her face?” “She might have a concussion, Leo. I’m checking her vitals.” Those voices……. Wait, my eyes slowly began to flutter open again. Don’t tell me I’m still with those freaky reptile things……. So it wasn’t a dream! Oh my god; oh my god! “Ugh!” Ok, now my head hurt. 

The pain didn’t last long though as I fully opened my eyes to see four sets of eyes staring back down at me. And again, like a baby, I shrieked at the top of my lungs. The one in the red mask covered his ears. “Would you stop screaming?!” “G-get away from me!” I hollered, bringing my knees tightly into my chest and sticking one arm out at them. “Well, looks like she doesn’t have a head injury,” the blue masked one shot the purple masked one a look before turning back to me. “A-are you alright? Does your head hurt at all?” “S-stay back! P-please!” “Hey, it’s ok,” he took a step forward, grinning down at me and displaying his hands out in front of him. “N-no! Don’t hurt me!” I begged, pulling myself away on the floor. “I would never hurt you,” he said with such earnest that I was almost inclined to believe him. 

“W-where am I?” I scanned around, not recognizing anything. “Where d-did you bring me?” “We didn’t bring you anywhere. Uh, it’s…… complicated,” blue-mask glanced back at the other turtles, which I guested to be his brothers. With another glance around, I realized that we were in some sort of abandoned subway station. How did I get down here?! What did these monsters want with me?! I was to ask again when orange-mask came too-close-for comfort. “Feeling better?!” W-why is he talking to me?! These things could talk? I only responded by sliding backwards more, not taking my eyes off them. 

“N-no, no! S-stay away!” “Awe, don’t be scared! We ain’t gonna hurt you, sis’.” “Don’t call her that,” red-mask said, also approaching where I was. He looked at lot firmer than his brothers. “Why? She’s gonna be our sis’- someday.” W-what is he talking about? I blinked up at him. “Enough, Mikey. She’s frightened enough as it is,” blue-mask said, stepping towards me. My eyes grew wide as he offered me his hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll explain this all to you.” “We will?” Purple-mask asked him, surprise permeating his voice. 

“W-who are you?” I hesitated to take the mutant’s hand, preferring to stay where I was on the ground. “Uh, turtles? And we’re teenagers.” “And mutants.” “And ninjas.” “Ninjas?” I gasped. “You’re teenage, mutant, ninja turtles?” I asked while getting to my feet without blue-mask’s help. “Hey, that’s got a good ring to it! Teenage, mutant, ninja turtles!” Orange-mask turned to his brothers in excitement. I noticed how the other three rolled their eyes. “Awe, cute and smart; you guys are so lucky!” “Mikey,” blue-mask groaned and red-mask shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his shell. 

“Why am I here?” My voice still trembled as I stood there in front of all four turtles. “Oh, that’s easy. You’re here to save your life.” “Mikey!” All three other turtles shouted at orange-mask. “S-save my life?!” I took an instinct step backwards away from them. “What my pinhead brother means is uh……. uh…….” “You were unconscious and someone brought you here,” red-mask finished blue-mask’s sentence. Unconscious? The last thing I remember was sitting in my room typing on my laptop. When did I become unconscious? Did……. did someone come into my room and knock me out? This was obviously a kidnapping, but they weren’t very good at it. 

“W-who?” I brought my hand up to my chest afraid. “Uh……. a friend.” “W-why did he bring me here?” “To meet us of course!” “Oh my god, Mikey!” “W-why?” I asked, a little less shaky this time. With red-mask covering orange-mask’s mouth, the brothers simply looked at each other like they didn’t know what to say. “Uh, listen. I said we’ll explain everything to you, and we will! But I don’t think now’s the time……” “Why?” “This is already a lot to take in. You just gotta trust me on this; we’re the good guys, we’re on your side,” his hand extended out for mine a second time in a show of solidarity. “Trust me,” blue-mask then flashed me the most brilliant smile. 

I stood there, not sure what to do or say next. For the first time, I examined each turtle individually. They were all different in size and muscle mass, with the tallest being purple-mask and the buffest red-mask. They were all staring back at me, though not with malicious intent or anything. They seemed to be concerned about me……. for some reason. I didn’t understand why; they didn’t know me, did they? I was here which meant that I had something to do with them, though I had no idea what that could be. It was around this time, I re-scanned my surroundings again. It was most definitely an underground subway station, one which I’ve never seen before. This immediately alarmed and frightened me. 

“Are you ok?” Purple-mask broke my concentration, giving my body a once over. “Any aches or pains?” “Uh, no? I don’t……. think so?” “Ok, good. I was worried there for a second; you bonked your head pretty hard.” “W-we’re in the subway?” I asked in the form of a statement. “Technically, it’s an abandoned rail line; no trains ever come down here.” “Do you…… live down here?” I gazed around, more thoughtfully this time. “Yep. It’s been our home since we can remember,” red-mask answered, smiling a little; well, more of a smirk but still. A nervous wave suddenly swept over me as I hugged myself tightly, continuously looking all around me. 

“I-I can’t be down here!” “It’s ok. It’s totally safe!” Orange-masked declared. “N-no; no! I have an extreme fear of rats! I have to get out of here, now.” “I’m……… gonna go out on a limb and say you have a phobia of rats?” Purple-masked ventured to ask. “Dude! Splinter was totally right!” “Shut it, Mikey!” “There are no rats in……. this room, I promise you,” blue-mask tried to calm me down. “Why are you lying to her?” Red-mask asked, destroying all my confidence in what the former told me. “She’s scared, Raph,” he retorted like it was so obvious, he shouldn’t have to say it. “Oh yeah, yeah; great way to start out. Lying to her face.” “It’s not a lie! There’re no rats in this particular room.” “But next door…….” “Not helping, Mikey!” 

“P-please,” I decided to go the “damsel-in-destress- route; maybe they’d turn out to have a shred of decency in them. For a bunch of kidnapping monsters. “I-I wanna go home. Please let me go home……..” ““And you will, we promise. We just need to make sure it’s secure first,” blue-mask said. “H-how long was I passed out for?” I was hesitant to ask. “We don’t know. You were passed out when we got here,” purple-mask replied. Ok, so they really didn’t bring me here……. I guess that was a good sign…… I guess. At least they weren’t the ones who abducted me. And they didn’t look like they were planning on harming either……. 

“I’m Mikey- the youngest and coolest turtle!” Orange-mask’s hand was suddenly stuck out in my face, waiting to be shook. “His name’s Michelangelo; Mikey for short,” purple-mask corrected with an eyeroll. “And I’m Donatello, or Donnie.” “Yeah, but who cares about us?! Look at them!” Michelangelo guided my vision to the now furiously blushing blue and red-mask. “Cute, huh? The leader-ish-looking one is named Leonardo, or Leo, and the angry-looking one is Raphael, or Raph.” “Hey!” “Ugh, Mikey,” Leonardo’s hand lifted to his head exasperated. “W-what’s your name?” He then asked me in a kind voice. “We already know her name,” this earned a whack to the side of the head from Raphael. “U-Uh Dilara de Vries?” “Sweet name! You’re so cute!” Another whack upside the head. 

Leonardo, who I guessed was the eldest and the leader of……. whatever this was turned back to me after giving the youngest a tired glare. “Are you sure you’re alright, Dilara?” His voice and expression were filled with emotion, it caught me a bit off guard. “Y-yeah!” It showed in my voice. “Oh, good,” he smiled like he was genuinely happy to hear this. Just…… just who were these guys? And why did they all look at me that way? 

“So, what now?” Raphael asked his brothers, also peering in my direction. “We should theoretically take her home,” Donatello responded. “I don’t know…….” Leonardo hesitated…… for some unknown reason. Uh, hey? What about what I want? Anyone going to ask me? “We can’t keep her down here forever.” Apparently not. “It might not be safe; we don’t know where she lives.” “Leo, she’ll be with us. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” Oh, gees; why don’t you just talk about me like I’m not here, why don’t ya? “This isn’t just your decision, Raph. As the leader, I say it’s my responsibility to make sure it’s secure.” “Yeah? Well I’m also her half…… uh, you-know-what. And as her half-you-know-what, I say she’ll be safe with me.” “Us; she’ll be safe with us,” Donatello corrected him. “You don’t get a say. This is between me and Leo.” “Yeah, but you’re too aggressive and he’s too protective.” “You’re saying I’m not being protective enough?” “I’m saying………”

Oh my god, I stood there in a state of awe more than anything. I don’t know where these turtles came from or how they lived until now, but it was painfully clear that none of them had any experience with girls before. I couldn’t have been in the room and it wouldn’t have made a difference. I think they were just so used to arguing amongst one another that they failed- or rejected- to let anyone else in. I guess that’s a sign to how close they were but come on; I was right here. Yes, I know they were talking “about” me, but they weren’t talking “to” me. Wait, they’re not paying attention to me……. A window of opportunity suddenly opened up. While Michelangelo joined in the argument, I quietly and discreetly as possible started to slip away off to the side. 

All I need to do is get over to the tunnel and I can make a run for it. I amazingly got literally three feet to the tunnel entrance without any of them noticing. It was almost comical; almost. I was just about to turn the corner and run as fast as my feet could carry me when I heard: “Hey, you guys’ notice something’s missing?” Donatello pondered. I can’t believe they didn’t recognize my absence right away; how is that even possible? What’s more, I can’t believe that was a legitimate question. Really? They don’t automatically notice the disappearance of the girl they were just arguing about? How is that possible?! 

But that only lasted ten seconds or so. Michelangelo suddenly gasped in shocked realization. “She’s loose!” “She’s a person; not a dog!” Raphael spat annoyed. “Hey!” Ugh, I inwardly groaned as all four turtles were instantly surrounding me, some looking particularly unimpressed by my escape attempt. You can’t go out on your own. It’s not safe!” “Huh? But I……” “It’s too dangerous,” he shook his head decidedly. “I’ll escort you home.” “Really, that’s……” “I wanna come too!” Michelangelo’s hand shot up in the air. “Who said you get to come?” Raphael asked him like he was automatically included in Leonardo’s offer. “Awe, bro! I wanna come; I wanna see where she lives!” “Me too,” Donatello added. 

Leonardo and Raphael both rolled their eyes but relented. “Fine, you can come. But don’t get used to it!” “Yay!” I flinched as Michelangelo came right over to my side eagerly. “This’ll be fun! Our first family outing!” “Mikey!” “Uh…….” Wait, who said they get to come; any of them? “By the way,” grabbing hold of my shoulders, he spun me in such a way that I was facing both Raphael and Leonardo. “Which one do you think is cuter? Leo or Raph?” “Mikey!” The now fervently blushing brothers yelled at the youngest. I just looked at all them in utter confusion. Just who were these guys exactly? And more importantly, why were they so interested in me? I didn’t get it; I just didn’t get it.


	4. I Lost My Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turtles try to figure out a way to get you home while Michelangelo makes you a drink. Your time together is interrupted by a visit from a very unfamiliar yet familiar entity.

I couldn’t help but notice how close Raphael and Leonardo were to me. Like intimately close. It made me feel a little claustrophobic; not that they seemed to notice. Leonardo just looked at me. “Where do you live?” “Uh, Amstel?” Was it such a good idea telling these guys where I lived? Probably not but who cares? I was more than ready to go home. “Amstel?” Leonardo gave his brothers a confused expression. “I don’t know where that is? Donnie?” “On it,” Donatello yanked a phone that appeared to be a mini turtle shell with a screen on it. And yet, that wasn’t the weirdest thing I’d seen that night. 

The purple turtle typed down something and waited for a second. Then he gazed back up at me with a sort of contorted expression. “Uh, do you mean Amstel, New York City?” “Why would I mean New York? We’re in Amsterdam.” The four turtle blinked at each other in sudden shock, though I had no clue why. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t heard any of them speak Dutch, but I didn’t think much of it. “You live in Amsterdam?” Raphael eventually ventured to ask me. This caught me by surprise. Of course I lived in Amsterdam; we were in Amsterdam, right? We were in Amsterdam……. right? 

Before I had a chance to answer, Michelangelo snapped his fingers. “That’s right! Splinter said something like that!” “I didn’t think he meant now!” Raphael snapped back. “What are we supposed to do about that? She lives half way across the world!” “H-half way across the world…….?” I let out a gasp. “W-why do you say that? W-where are we, exactly?” “Uh……” Another awkward glance at each other. “N-New York?” Leonardo offered in an unsure tone. “New York? Like, America?” “Um…… yeah?” “There’s only one!” “Mikey!” They all looked on as I was suddenly and inexplicably on the verge of a panic attack. Being abducted and taken underground in my own city was one thing but being brought to a foreign country……. This was a whole other level of terrifying; this was the scariest thing I’d heard actually. 

“N-no, no……. this isn’t America,” my mind went into repair mode, adamantly refusing to believe it. “I-I’ve never been to America before……. it can’t be……. it isn’t…….” “Well…… at least you’re not in Antarctica,” this earned a sharp glare from Raphael and Leonardo, making the tallest turtle shrug. “What?” “No…….” I took a step backwards, raising my hands up a little in disbelief. “Dilara……” “No, no…….” tears started to form in the corner of my eyes. “I can’t…… I can’t be here…….” Especially with the horrific realization that I didn’t have my passport or any money…… I didn’t even have my cellphone. “No…….” My head gave a little, desperate shake. “No! I wanna go home…….. I wanna go home!” 

“Donnie!” Both older brothers turned to the startled purple-masked turtle. “Fix this!” The eldest demanded. “W-what do you want me to do about it?” “You’re the smart one. Figure it out, now!” Raphael added. “Fine,” his eyes gave a slight exasperated roll. “Uh, I guess I could book her a plane ticket and get April to take her to the airport.” “Oh yeah? And how is she gonna get on the plane without a passport or parent, genius?” “Hey! At least I’m making suggestions. She’s your you-know-what; you could do more than just yell at me.” “You’re right,” Leonardo said with certainty. “Mikey, take Dilara in the kitchen and get her something to eat. Uh…… make her some tea or something.” “We don’t have any tea.” “Then make hot chocolate!” Raphael retorted annoyed. 

“Alright!” Yet again, without asking at all what I wanted or even felt, they decided for me. Michelangelo eagerly took my hand and practically dragged me into the kitchen, leaving the other three to talk- or argue- amongst themselves. I know they were arguing because no more than five seconds after we took our leave, yells and hollers echoed down the halls. “Don’t worry about them,” Michelangelo let go of my hand once we reached what I guess they considered a kitchen. It was more like a make-shift kitchen if you asked me. “They’re always like that. You get used to it.” He said that like he expected me come back, if I ever got home that is. I didn’t respond, sitting silently on the chair he pulled out for me. My vision was still blurry from my uncontrollable tears. 

“Now, what would you like?! We have pizza soup, pizza turnovers, pizza casserole, pizza biscuits with gravy.” “O-oh, thank you but I don’t eat pizza.” “What?!” This revelation almost made the turtle fall over……. for some reason. “That’s totally not possible! Everyone eats pizza!” He’s…… clearly never been to Europe before. “Maybe in Italy,” I slightly shrugged. “Well, what do Amsterdam-ians eat?” He rested his elbows on the edge of the island. “I’m Dutch,” this made me grin- a very little grin. I was still scared witless and that likely wasn’t going to change anytime soon. “Ok! What do Dutch people eat?” “Well, lots of meat and potatoes; bread,” my shoulder shrugged again. “A lot of cheese and butter; we like our chocolate.” “You know, pizza is just cheese on very, very flat bread, with like some other stuff; all good stuff!” 

I looked at him for a moment, comprehending that he wasn’t going to let this go. But I still doubted his cooking skills, so I tried to turn down the offer as covertly as possible. “Hot chocolate actually sounds good.” “Then hot chocolate it is! One extra-big cup coming up!” This made me smile for the first time since I came to. Despite his mutant exterior and the fact that he’s basically an abductor, he’s actually quite sweet. He certainly didn’t have the temperament of his brothers; bubblier, softer……. I had the distinct feeling that if I was going to get anywhere with any of them, it would be with him; considering the others didn’t even bother to include me in the conversation. Well, Michelangelo was guilty of that too, but my point still stands. I watched as he scrambled around the kitchen counter; if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was actually happy. Happy that I was here? Why would that be the case? None of this still made any sense to me. 

I found my eyes drifting up to the ceiling, which was the top of a subway station. That’s right….. it looks like a kitchen but we’re still in the subway. This made my gaze roll back to the gleeful turtle. He seemed quite a home down here…….. Oh, I think I was starting to get it. I’d never heard of any human-sized turtles before because they were in hiding. They lived down here not by choice but precisely because they’re freaks of nature. I may have even been the first human they’d ever met, but Donatello did mention a “April” earlier. Who knows who she is; either a human or another mutant. It also dawned on me that I might not have been the only person they’ve ever kidnapped before. That dug under my skin, though I tried not to show it. 

“There you go!” Somewhat suddenly, Michelangelo spun around to plop down a brimming cup of inauthentic hot chocolate in front of me. Call me spoiled, but I knew it was made with water; not milk. That immediately turned me right off. But the orange-masked turtle grinned wistfully at me and I knew he was waiting for me to take a sip. Taking in a deep, silent breath, I brought the cup to my lips. It didn’t taste as horrible as I thought it would but still was barely edible to me. I managed to force down a gulp, setting the cup down and smiling over at Michelangelo. “Thank you. It’s really good.” “Really?! Yay! I can make a stellar hot chocolate. You know it’s true if a Dutchy tells you that.” Dutchy…… that’s not politically correct but considering that he just made me a drink, I chose to let it slide. 

“Man, Dutch-Land,” Michelangelo took a seat next to me, resting his elbow on the island and planting his cheek in it. “That must be far if you’ve never been to America before.” “The Netherlands is far; a five-hour plane ride across the Atlantic,” I took another sip. I guess I was hungry. “Whoa, five hours?! I didn’t know it took that long to get anywhere!” “Really?” I slowly began to realize…… “You’ve never left America, have you?” “Nope! Never even left New York.” “Really?!” That’s……. super sad. I’d seen New York in movies and on tv before; it didn’t look like the best place even in America to live. “It’s ok though; we love it here!” Of course you do; you’ve never seen anywhere else except for maybe on tv. He didn’t know any better……. 

My eyes lowered a tad as I thought to myself. I was overcome with a strange mixture of terror for my situation and pity for this single-city bound turtle. I couldn’t imagine staying in just one city my whole life; even if it was my beloved Amsterdam…… I’d still go stark mad. I didn’t even was to picture what it was like for them growing up and living not just in one city but underground. Was that even mentally healthy? I don’t think so…….. If I ever found a way to get back home, a part- a very small part- of me kinda wished I could bring him with me, just to show him something different. Something new……. 

None of this seemed to bother Michelangelo however. He smiled and talked like he was totally unaware of his situation. I don’t know if that made me feel better or worse…… “You look American,” he stated matter-o-factly. “Oh, I do, do I?” In truth, I had no idea how Americans dressed so for all I knew, he could be right. “Yeah! You’re wearing jeans and a hoodie; classic A-mer-i-can.” “This?” I looked down at myself. “It’s easy to ride a bike wearing jeans and this is a hoodie from my school.” In that moment, I randomly reached inside my hoodie pocket, only for my eyes to grow when I felt something. Pulling it out, I opened my hand to see this small, button-like thing. “What’s that?” Michelangelo peered over curiously. “I have no idea……” I’d never seen it before; it definitely wasn’t mine. Maybe the kidnapper left in my pocket. Not really sure what to expect, I pressed it. 

We both flinched at this sudden beeping and I dropped it onto the table. After a few seconds, a holographic light stemmed up from the center of the thing. “Uh, you guys!” Michelangelo called as we stumbled out of our seats, backing up slightly. “You might wanna see this!” Within seconds, the other three turtles were in the room, looking as surprised as we were. “Whoa! What is that?!” “It’s a hologram.” “I can see that! But what is it?” The light morphed into what appeared to be a much older Donatello; like in his early thirties. His upper half made up the whole hologram. “Is…… is it working?” He said to himself before noticing us. “Oh! It is! Hey, you guys!” 

None of us said anything; we just stared at the hologram transfixed. “It’s me, Donnie! In the future! Well, technically current time in my reality, but the future in yours.” “I-it’s Donnie…….” Raphael’s finger pointed up to him. “I-it’s you…… but way older!” “I know; didn’t I glow up? Hey bros; man, I forgotten how cute we were! You know, before we grew up and got swoll,” older Donatello said. “Wow! Future-Donnie! This is so cool!” Michelangelo announced. “Isn’t this awesome, Dilara?!” All of a sudden, future Donatello looked at me, his expression immediately changing. 

And just like that, the mood in the room was altered. The way he looked at me- the profoundness in his wide eyes- said more than words ever could. He looked like he was seeing a ghost, or the resurrection of a loved one. His face betrayed a million emotions at once, ranging from terror to overjoy; but most of all, he seemed to be in overwhelming awe. He stared hopelessly at me for about ten seconds before finally remembering to breathe I think. “Wow…… Dilara,” he sounded like he was about to cry. “It’s you…….. you’re alive……..” Uh…… ok? What was that supposed to mean? But I didn’t have time to ask; the most intense smile bloomed across his green lips. “You’re so young……. and so beautiful…….. I’d forgotten how radiant you are……..” 

By now, not only Raphael and Leonardo but all the turtles were deeply blushing. I don’t think any of them expected him to be the one saying that. “Y-you’re Donnie from the future?! Like the same future Splinter just came from?” Leonardo quickly cut in when he noticed my dumbfounded expression. “Correct. I knew you meeting Dilara now would be tricky, since she still lives in Amsterdam in your time. That’s why I programed this hologram.” “How are we supposed to get her home?” Raphael didn’t hesitate to ask. “Don’t worry, bro; I got this. See those rings on your fingers?” We all glanced down, only to instantly freak out. They each had a small silver band on one finger while I had a blue, red, purple, and orange band on each of my four fingers on my right hand. How did I not notice that before?! 

“What is this?! What did you do to me?!” I demanded, trying to rub out the rings; they were like tattoos, kept under my skin. “Their geo-trackers. They’ll allow all of you to teleport between Amsterdam and New York; whenever the sun sets, you guys can go to where Dilara is.” “I don’t want that! How do I get it off?!” I kept trying to futilely remove them, licking and rubbing at my fingers. “You can’t; not until you move to America in two years. It’s the only way to keep you five connected until then.” “I don’t want to be connected!” I had finally had enough. “I don’t want any of this! How could you do this to me?!” “I’m sorry, lil’ sis’, but it’s the only way to keep you safe. As for you four, you each have a ring too, connecting you guys. Mikey and me have it on our thumbs, and Leo and Raph have it, heh, on your “ring” fingers,” future Donatello smirked at the still blushing elder two. 

“I get it,” Donatello examined his own tiny silver band. “So this’ll allow us to transport to wherever Dilara is and vice versa.” “Yes, but only after sunset; once the sun rises, you return to your respective countries of origin.” “Huh!” Of all things, Donatello actually seemed to be excited by this. “I didn’t know I could do this! I get super smart in the future!” “And super hot,” future Donatello smirked again. “Why……..?” He then turned back to find me full-on crying; I wasn’t holding back anymore. This was a nightmare; an absolute nightmare. “Why are you doing this to me?” 

None of the current turtles responded, though future Donatello moved in such a way that he was directly facing me. “I wish I could tell you everything, Dilara, but those two won’t let me say anything,” he stuck his fingers out at Leonardo and Raphael behind him. I looked at them then back at him. “But why? Why me? I don’t understand……. Why did you choose me?” “Dilara,” future Donatello said in the sincerest voice I’d ever heard in my life. “Listen to me, because I can only say this once. I’m doing this because I love you; I love you so much. We all do. You have brought so much happiness into our lives, especially those idiots over there,” he motioned to the elder two brothers again. “You are someone worth saving, remember that.” “Uh, uh…….. Do you mean…… do you mean that I meet……. I meet you guys in the future?” “I can’t say anything. Your uh, you-know-what would kill me.” My you-know-what? I didn’t know what! What is he talking about?! But I doubted he was going to tell me, no matter how many times I asked. So I just took in a deep breath realizing, comprehending that these guys- these four mutant turtles- were going to be a part of my life until further notice. With no consent or will of mine, there they were; bound together with these tattoo rings on all our fingers. Rings……. why did he choose rings of all things? 

“I’m out of time. Listen guys, you have one job now,” future Donatello’s big green finger pointed at me, not that I saw. I was too busy staring off into nowhere trying not to have a breakdown. “She’s your job. That trumps everything else, got that?” None of them reacted for a moment until Michelangelo playfully nudged Donatello in the shell where his ribcage would be. “Whoa, look who gets bossy in his old age?” He teased. “I’m bossy because this is important; more important than you know.” I wasn’t listening to him or any of them anymore, to transfixed on the different colored rings on my fingers. “Dude, chill; I only meant you’re usually not this bossy,” Michelangelo’s hands went up in front of him defensively. I wasn’t listening……. “Of course I’m being bossy,” future Donatello shot him a glare. “I lost my sister.” I wasn’t listening, though something tells me I should have been.


	5. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You figure out how to finally go home.

We all stood around in the common room, each of us distinctly eyeing the former unnoticed bands on our fingers. Future Donatello’s hologram phased out, leaving us five there alone. Needless to say, I had an endless list of questions. I demanded to know what he meant by my still being alive, why future Raphael and Leonardo forbade him from telling me anything, and why he loved me even though I’d never seen him before. But none of them gave me a satisfying answer, emphasizing that none of them clearly knew what he was talking about either. I knew they had some idea but obviously not a fully-formed picture. Realizing that my questions were go unanswered, I decided to let it go. It was emotionally draining to concentrate on them single-mindedly, especially since it was a fruitless endeavor.

But there was currently a bigger and more important inquiry on all our minds. Donatello said that we could use the rings to teleport between Amsterdam and New York, but he failed to say how. We all tried a bunch of different things; holding hands, trying to “activate” the rings, rubbing them against each other, etc. Nothing. After countless attempts and failures, we all lounged about the common area in defeat, not saying anything for a while. I sat on the couch with an upside-down Michelangelo beside me. Raphael plopped himself in the beanbag chair with his arms folded defiantly. Donatello was on the floor, knees under the table; he was using a screwdriver to tinker with his ring, which seemed like a bad idea considering it was more a tattoo than actual metal ring. And Leonardo stood back-leaning against the wall with his arms also crossed. None of us said or did anything, too lost in our own thoughts and frustrations to speak. Eventually Donatello threw down the screwdriver and sighed. 

“I can’t believe this. I invent teleportation technology in the future and yet ironically have no clue how it works. I must not be as smart as I think.” “Don’t worry, you guys,” Leonardo ventured to say. “We’ll figure this out. There’s gotta be a trick to it……..” “Maybe we’re just trying too hard,” Michelangelo offered. “Oh yeah, that’s gotta be it,” Raphael spat back in an ironic tone. “What do you think, Dilara?” I didn’t think; I didn’t wanna think. I just wanted to be home, in my nice and comfy bed. Still, even I knew there was something we were overlooking……. something probably ironically very obvious.

“Maybe we have to think of Amsterdam first!” “That’s…… not a big theory, Mikey,” Donatello said with slight surprise. “I know, right?! It’s just…… I don’t know what Amsterdam looks like.” “Hold on,” the brothers gathered around as Donatello pulled out his make-shift laptop. He pulled up a basic picture of Amsterdam’s grand central station and printed it out. Then he got some tape and taped it up on the wall for all to see. “I hope this works,” I heard him say under his breath. “Alright, now what?” Raphael looked at the purple-masked turtle. “Uh……..” the purple-masked turtle scratched the side of his head for a second. “No clue.” “Then what was the point of that?!” The four brothers immediately broke out into an argument. But I wasn’t paying attention; my eyes were locked onto the printed-out picture. Amsterdam……. home. 

Without thinking, my right hand lifted up to touch the paper. It took me a second to realize what was happening, partially because I couldn’t feel anything, but I noticed something starting to glow beside where my eyes were. Imagine my astonishment and shock when I looked to see the four rings on my fingers glowing each of their respective colors. Before the turtles had a chance to see, I fearfully yanked my hand away from the wall, stepping back a few steps. This caught their attention. 

“What’s wrong?!” Leonardo asked me quickly. “M-my hand…….” I stared down at it, holding it tightly with the other. It didn’t hurt but it was still weird to experience. “It was glowing!” “Really?” They’re eyebrows rose in unison. What?! They didn’t believe me? These mutant turtles felt like they had the right to question me, especially since they adamantly refused to answer any of my questions? The nerve! Donatello looked slightly intrigued however. “Show me.” 

I hesitated for a minute, unsure what would happen if I tried again. But with all them intently watching me, I lifted up my hand to place back onto the wall. And just like before, the multi-colored rings on my finger began to glow. Now their eyes grew in shock; oh, now they believe me. This time, I didn’t move my hand away; I couldn’t feel anything so I didn’t think it was dangerous. We all watched as the wall surrounding my hand began to morph into a green, also glowing circle. My hand stayed like that until it was big enough for me to climb through. I knew it must have gone somewhere because a gentle breeze rustled a few stray hairs near my cheek. The stone which comprised the wall fell like air against my skin, like it wasn’t there. Wow, I eyed it as my curiosity grew bolder and bolder……. I wonder if……… 

With a little effort, I pushed my hand further into the void, only to find nothing bumping up against it. I think……. I think…….. And for the first time that night, a glimmer of hope sparked inside me. I think this may be……. Before any of the turtles could ask what I was doing, I suddenly crossed the threshold. Unsure what to expect, I shut my eyes, only reopening them when my feet were firmly on solid ground again. My eyes fluttered open to see, much to my bewilderment and unspeakable delight, I was standing in the hallway of the bottom floor of our apartment. I….. I can’t believe it! I had to blink two or three times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I made it back! I’m home! I’m actually home! 

Literally a second after I thought this, loud voice echoed behind me. Oh no……. Spinning around, I saw all four turtles stumbling through the same void I just crossed. They followed me?! Why?! Just why?! Why can’t this nightmare end?! “Whoa, dude! We just crossed the world in like two seconds! This is amazing!” “Are you alright, Dilara?” Leonardo approached me, scanning me over for injury. “Y-yes, I’m fine…….” No, I’m not fine! You weren’t supposed to follow me! New York was your home and Amsterdam was mine; they’re thousands of miles apart for a reason! 

“Wow!” The other three turtles gazed around in awe. “Are we in Amsterdam?” “Yes, this is my apartment.” “Whoa!” They all blinked in every which way again. Oh boy……… “I can’t believe it! We’re actually in a different city!” “Never thought this would happen.” “Can we look around?!” “Shhhhh!” My finger lifted to my lips. They’re being too loud! “De Vries!” All of a sudden, a super loud and super angry voice made our ears bleed. Realizing who it was, I opened a nearby cleaning closet door and motioned for them to get inside. They complied immediately, letting me almost shut the door all the way until……. “Ah ha!” Oh damn. It never ends, does it?


End file.
